3 measurement trends from brand and agency execs

Measurement is on the minds at Advertising Week New York. With flat or shrinking budgets, clients need to pinpoint—and be able to prove—where growth is coming, Meredith Zhang, measurement lead at TikTok, said during the event.

Even with abundant data, knowing which metrics to measure can be difficult. Sales are the “ultimate” KPI, said Ali Amarsy, chief strategy officer at Digitas. But marketers must measure other KPIs to understand what’s driving sales. Here are three measurement trends marketers are leaning into.

1. Marketers move toward MMM

TikTok is seeing an increase in media mix modeling (MMM) as marketers move away from last-click attribution, Zhang said. Last-click is unreliable for social media platforms because consumers discovering brands and products on the platforms don’t often buy right away. Even on TikTok, which has become increasingly commerce-oriented through TikTok Shop, most purchases of brands discovered on the platform can’t be measured via last click, Zhang said. Just 1 in 5 marketers are confident in last-click attribution, according to an EMARKETER survey done in partnership with Snap.

In contrast, MMM allows for privacy-compliant measurement across media, noted Zhang. MMM is the most promising measurement type for identifying drivers of business value, the same survey found, and 61.3% of US marketers are aiming to improve their MMM in the future.

2. Set it and forget it is over

Sorting through data in real time can be overwhelming, said Joel Yashinsky, CMO at Applebee’s. But it’s necessary to evaluate and update campaigns mid-flight, leaning into what’s working and pivoting from what doesn’t.

To optimize in real time, agencies and brands must work well together to quickly pivot when needed, Yashinsky said.

3. KPIs vary for different audiences

Brands need to understand the relationships different audiences have with the brand, said Amarsy. A restaurant like Applebee’s may want to hit loyalists with campaigns to increase order size, while inspiring less frequent visitors to visit their restaurants by focusing on brand awareness with their growth audience.

That’s why it’s important to make sure to use the right KPI for each campaign or initiative, said Applebee’s Yashinsky. The best KPI for loyalists may be increase in order size, while for a growth audience it may make more sense to look at brand lift. Know what audience each campaign is focused on and tailor KPIs to that audience’s goals.

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